Randomness from October 2017

Ana

 Just getting cuter and cuter every day!  We love snuggling with her (when she will let us.)

Ellie

Ellie LOVES pandas.  Can you tell?

Ellie wanted to give playing the cello a shot.  I think that she just missed her brother and found it to be a connection to him, but she insisted that she really wanted to play it so we signed her up for the Beginning Orchestra.  They had their first concert this fall.  Will we have another cellist in the family?  Only time will tell...

Besides loving pandas, Ellie also LOVES baking, especially when that baking involves decorating.  I found a cookie decorating class at Harmon's and signed her up to make some sugar cookie masterpieces.  She did a great job and had a lot of fun.

Corn Maze Fun

Well, one night this fall, we decided to go to a corn maze.  I wanted it to be a family affair, but Emma's friends were all wanting to go on the same night that I was wanting our family to go.  So, we compromised.  Emma rode with us to the corn maze, where she promptly found her group of friends and left us in the dust.  Lol.

 But the four of us still had some fun without her.  We made it through the corn maze twice before it got too dark and cold.  Then we had some fun taking pictures.

It was a fun night.  I've always wanted to take the kids to a corn maze.  I'm glad we finally took the opportunity to go.

A Little Fall and a Little Volleyball

October 2017

Provo Canyon views

Shortly after we purchased our new van, we took a trip down to BYU to attend a women's volleyball game.  We met up with Becca there and loved visiting with her while we watched the awesome BYU Women's Volleyball team.

Oh ya...we also ate a Cougar Tail (gigantic maple bar), which was THE absolute highlight of our trip.  We also drove by the MTC and blew kisses to Josh.  :)

Taking Elder Ogden with us.

With cute Becca. :)

October 2016 Happenings

Once again I have fallen way behind in updating this blog.  As in, I am nearly four months behind.  So now I am going to have to try and remember things.

So here goes nothing...

We decided to try a different softball league that had a fall option.  Abbie had a lot of fun and got to know some new girls, but the games were C-O-L-D.  I'm not sure if we will stick with this league when the spring comes, go back to Murray, or if Abbie will choose to not even play softball.  We shall see.  I hate to see her stop because she is a good softball player.  It's just been hard to find a well-organized league.

It's never good when you see the elementary's school number on your caller ID around 10:30 in the morning (recess time).  Especially when you are teaching preschool and cannot rush to pick your injured child up.  It's a good thing that dad works from home so he could be the hero in this situation!

Just like her older sister, Emma, little Miss Ellie took a tumble off the bars on the school playground.  Both the radius and the ulna were affected so on went the cast for six weeks.

She was a trooper though!  She hardly cried at all during the whole process.

I had the opportunity to be a volunteer for Ellie's field trip to the Utah Daughters of the Pioneers Museum and This is the Place Park.  I had never been to the museum before and found it fascinating.  I definitely want to go back so I can explore it some more.  

The kids also had fun at This is the Place even though it was a little bit of a chilly day.  They got to go on a mini handcart trek and Ellie pulled her little heart out, even with a bright green cast on her arm.  (Something tells me that the pioneers did not have bright green casts.)  All in all, it was a super fun day and I am thankful that I took the time to go with her.

During Red Ribbon Week, the school had a crazy hair day.  I asked Ellie what she wanted to do and she said, "I want to be Judy Hopps" (from the movie, Zootopia.) 

Okay.  Now I have exactly 2 hours to figure out how to make your hair look like rabbit ears.

I think I improvised very well, don't you?

Sadly after a little bit of playing at school, Ms. Hopps had to remove all of the hardware on her head, but at least it lasted long enough for a cute picture and for her teacher and friends to see our creativity.

Emma finished up her first volleyball season with Murray High School.  Mark and I have had so much fun attending her games.  We are so proud of our little libero!  She played on the Sophomore and JV teams and is only a Freshman.  It was great to see her progress and I am looking forward to watching another season next fall.

Josh also had a busy October.  He is involved in so many things that it is hard to keep track of him these days.  But, I am glad that he is involved in different things and enjoying his senior year of high school.

 He had a school choir concert...

in which he accompanied the Men's Choir.  It is fun to watch him play the piano.

He also had a school orchestra concert.  I think he was dressed as a hipster...:)

I will save the Halloween fun that we had in October for the next post.  

Hiking to the "Y"

Do you want to know what Mark and I like to do for fun?

Torture our children...especially Ellie.  :)

A few months ago, we looked at the calendar and decided that we were going to take the afternoon of the 30th and go hiking because all of the older kids were out of school.  We had decided to hike Mt. Timpanogos and go through the cave at the top, but I failed to get tickets so we had to scratch that plan.

Plan B was hiking to the "Y" down in BYU territory.  Mark went there, but has never hiked up to the "Y" and I have never done the hike and our kids have never hiked it so...there you go.  Perfect solution.

Well.  It was a little steeper than we anticipated, which was fine for most of us (although I did feel like my lungs were going to burst, but no big deal.)  But my dear little Ellie and her short little legs...well, a picture is worth a thousand words, right?

By turn #5, she was completely done, ready to die, and probably cursing me in her sweet little head.  But by the time we made it to the "Y", she decided that the view was worth the pain.

And she was right.  The view was amazing and totally worth any amount of burst lungs and jell-o legs.

The Haunted Railroad

One of the things on my bucket list has been to take the kids up to the Heber Valley Railroad and ride the train there.

Time to check that one off!

Thank you to my sister-in-law, Kathi, for getting the tickets situated for us.  It was a very fun day!  It was a beautiful day too.  The perfect temperature, the sun in the sky, the leaves all aflame.  Simply gorgeous and perfect. 

I must have had a good day.  Judging by the picture below, I am simply glowing! :)

The train ride was not very long, but it was a fun little jaunt.

Very relaxing and fun.

After the train ride, we had to make a stop at the Dairy Keen for some delicious burgers and shakes.  You have to stop there if you are in Heber!  It is a definite must!

Some Fall Fun

Wow!  It has been a while since I have posted.  We have been in full swing around our house, hopping from one event to the next and every time I have sat down to write a post- I look at the clock and it's 10:30 (which it is right now, but I can't put it off any longer.)  If I don't post about what we have been up to, the details will be gone- out of my brain.

Sleep is highly overrated.  

I have to start with this picture of Bailey.  She is such a funny dog.  Very different-personality wise- from our previous dog, Mei Mei.

She loves to go with us anywhere.  She knows when we are getting ready to leave and is not very happy when we are going someplace where she can't come with us.  She is always leaning up against things- the couch, the wall.  She also loves to bring her leash to me if it gets left out where she can get it.  That's my cue to stop being lazy and take her for a walk.  :)

Next, I have to post this picture of Emma's latest crochet creation.

I found the pattern on Pinterest and she went to work.  Her friend, Jennavry, just turned 12 and she loves giraffes.  Emma knew this would be the perfect gift.  I am so proud of her.  She is quite the amazing little crochet artist.

Abbie and Ellie discovered some new fun at Grandma's house.

Old prom dresses from the 50's.  Heaven for these little girls.  Thank you grandma.  They have not stopped talking about these dresses.

We have a Fall Break in our school schedule and we have had about 5 different plans for that break-  including a trip to Mesa Verde, which I am thankful didn't work out because, umm ya- Mesa Verde was closed.  

We ended up having 5 days of super family fun.  

We started out with a day in Provo.  We took the kids around BYU.  It was fun for Mark to see all of the familiar places from his college days.

A trip to BYU would not be complete without a stop at the BYU Creamery for some awesome food and amazing ice cream.  Yumm...

Then we went to the Provo Beach Resort.  I have heard about this place from a few people and it did not disappoint.  SUPER FUN PLACE TO GO!  The kids had a blast, and we wore ourselves out.

 Josh and Emma loved the ropes course.

 Abbie and Ellie tried their hand at Miniature Bowling while the other two were doing the ropes course.  As Abbie said, "Now we are all warmed up for the real bowling game!"  She was taking this bowling thing very seriously.  Grandma and Grandpa Fowlks were able to join us for bowling and mini croquet.

Did I mention they have Skee ball?  I love Skee ball.  I could play it all day long.

We were also able to go to St. George for a couple of days.  It was beautiful weather there and we had fun just hanging out with family there.  The kids love to play with their cousins and I love to just hang around my mom and dad's house.  It was lovely.  Plus my super awesome brother (owner of this sweet production company Cypress Rock Productions) was kind enough to take some new family pictures for us.

Thanks Dan!  And thank you to his beautiful assistant and wife, Chantelle.  She made sure we didn't look too cheesey.  :)

I love all of the pictures and I love these beautiful people that I am surrounded by!  They are the reason I get up every morning at the insane hour of 5 am.  I love my job and I love them.  

I am not sure what it is about family pictures that makes everyone behave like toddlers, but it sure makes for some great outtake pictures.

And for my favorite picture of the day...

Dan couldn't resist and I think it's hilarious.

Josh, however, does not.  :)

And now....we're done.

Sorry for the super picture heavy post.  Now it's after 11 and if I am going to be back up by 5...I mean 6 (it's Friday, and on Fridays I get to sleep in. ;)...I better go to bed.